Zyon McCollum wasn't lacking confidence heading into the Buccaneers' season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals. With Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins waiting on the other side, McCollum made it clear during the week that Tampa Bay's secondary wasn't going into the matchup intimidated by one of the best receiving duos in football. He talked about the opportunities the Bucs would have to make plays against Joe Burrow and said the secondary's mentality was that any ball in the air was theirs.
McCollum then went out and backed up that confidence. Chase was held to just two receptions for 12 yards, a quiet afternoon for a receiver who finished last season with 125 catches and 1,412 yards. Cincinnati targeted Chase only four times as the Bucs kept
Burrow from consistently getting the ball to his top receiver. McCollum spent much of the afternoon dealing with Chase and Higgins and was able to stay competitive against both. One of his biggest plays came while matched up with Higgins, when McCollum stayed with him downfield and got his hand in at the catch point, breaking up a pass that could have been a big gain. Higgins still finished with three catches for 59 yards, but Tampa Bay never allowed either of Cincinnati's top two receivers to take over the game.
That performance was especially important after Jacob Parrish left in the second quarter with a back injury. With Benjamin Morrison forced into an increased role on the other side, McCollum became the experienced corner Tampa Bay needed to rely on. There has been plenty of discussion about McCollum taking another step as he settles into his role as the Bucs' top outside corner, especially after a rough 2025 season. Week 1 gave him an early chance to show progress against a matchup about as difficult as he will see. Tampa Bay ultimately left Cincinnati with a 33-27 loss, but the play of its cornerbacks was one of the positives to come from it. McCollum entered the game confident that the Bucs could hold their own against Chase and Higgins.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Zyon McCollum backs up big talk with big game
